his choice of classical music did have merit. On hearing the score as it might have been in the film, film scholar Gene D. Phillips argued that "it is difficult to see how North's music would have been an improvement on the background music that Kubrick finally chose for the film." Conversely, in his notes for the Jerry Goldsmith recording, Kevin Mulhall argued that "there is no doubt that 2001 would have been better if Kubrick had used North's music. Even if one likes some of the choices Kubrick made for certain individual scenes, the eclectic group of classical composers employed by the director... resulted in a disturbing melange of sounds and styles overall." Film critic Roger Ebert noted that North's rejected score contains emotional cues to the viewer while the final music selections exist outside the action, while uplifting it. With regard to the space docking sequence, Ebert stressed the peculiar combination of slowness and majesty resulting from the choice of Strauss's Blue Danube waltz, which brought "seriousness and transcendence" to the visuals. Speaking of the music generally, Ebert wrote: References External links 2001: A Space Odyssey - The Original Score (official listing) – Intrada Records Eternal-recurrence-Alex North's 2001: A Space Odyssey CD cover Limited Edition Films scored by Alex North Science fiction soundtracks Space Odyssey 1993 soundtrack albums 2007 soundtrack albums Varèse Sarabande albums Intrada Records soundtracks Alternative versions of soundtracks Jerry Goldsmith soundtracks National Philharmonic Orchestra soundtracks Alex North soundtracks